Cultural Collaboration

I combined my work as a teacher, curator of public conversations, and consultant to Berkeley’s Peleh Residency together in one category, as I see them all as a partnership to bring new ideas, art, and texts to life. A few examples of this work include:

Teaching

I teach two classes for Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program. The first is Speakeasy: The Pleasures of Writing Good Dialogue, and is a craft class for the creative writing program. The second is Think on your Feet: An Improviser’s Guide to Business and Communication, which brings an improv lens to workplace communications.

I’ve also taught in the Architecture Department at UC Berkeley; the Creative Writing Department at San Francisco State; at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles; and at the Oakland School for the Arts.

Public Conversations

I love the energy of talking with artists and thought leaders in large settings, where a community can gather and try to move the needle on important issues. Some of my favorite conversations have taken place at City Arts & Lectures; Stanford University; UC Berkeley; Uncharted, the Bay Area Book Festival, Reimagine, the Conversation, and Jewish Community Centers around the country.

Residency

Since 2018, I’ve consulted with the Peleh Residency, a unique and transformative arts residency in Berkeley where artists who are also parents can bring their children to both create art AND live as a family. This program is run by Asylum Arts at The Neighborhood, in Brooklyn, and brings Jewish artists together from around the world to create and build community. This work has led to a book project connecting art, community, and healing, which I am writing with artist and poet Sophie Herxheimer, a 2020 Peleh resident.